16 days in Europe
 

Hi there!! I've been planning for my europe trip for a while now but I really don't know how many days i should allocate for each place i want to visit.

I only have 16 days but i want to visit so many places! I don't want to rush it though as i prefer appreciating the culture and sights rather than have a marathon trip..

I thought of
2 days for Prague
2 days for VIenna
2 days for Alps
2 days for Florence
3 days for Venice
3 days for Rome
3 days for Paris..

I don't like shopping. woudl prefer nature, architecture, cultural activieies like watching a play/taking part in a summer festival, trying out local delicacies..


any suggestions are welcomed!

No way. "I don't want to rush it". Too late :)


Figure that your first day is almost shot, jet lag, getting to hotel. Figure that your last day is used, checking out, getting to airport early.etc..

You have not included the travel time between each of these. cities. Checking out, getting to airport/train station, finding counter,etc....travel....get to new city, find cab, get to hotel check in...Repeat SIX times.

Your memory of this trip will be mostly of travel, with a few pleasurable moments.

Do you want to 'see' places or 'be in' places? The above is a glance, not a unrushed visit.

16 days: 2 max...maybe 3 places. And..maybe..you could add one day trip out of the cities.

Chop chop

<<I don't want to rush it though as i prefer appreciating the culture and sights rather than have a marathon trip..>>

You are rushing it and you are not accounting for travel time. With 16 days, consider 3-4 locations max, or better yet, 2-3 locations, allowing you to truly enjoy.

Alps- where in the Alps? How will you get around?

If you drop the first 2--and the last one---you may have time to see the middle 4. You do not seem to understand travel times which would consume 20% of your time in your itinerary.

I would plan on these time alloacations:

The Alps--4 days in the Berner Oberland[ or Dolomites]
Venice---4 days
Florence---3 days with a day trip to Siena
Rome--5 days

Next year see Prague, Munich and Vienna.

<< i prefer appreciating the culture and sights rather than have a marathon trip >>

You have scheduled a marathon trip for yourself!

Either do Florence, Venice, Rome
OR
Prague, Vienna
OR
Paris and environs

You only have 16 days but you've scheduled for 17 days and did not leave time to get from place to place.

Yipes! We spent 7 days in Rome and that wasn't enough. 8 days in Paris and there's so much left to do. I second everything that was said above. Choose two cities which you can travel from one to the other by train - and also go on day trips. In Rome, there are day trips that are from a half an hour to 2 hours travel away and there's so much to do there. Ditto Paris, Prague....
A trip that includes many places is only worthwhile if you take a car and stop at the smaller sites. Six capitol cities in two weeks is almost a crime! I understand from what you wrote that you want to go in the summer. That is peak tourist season and you run the risk of standing in line for every major site or museum (which means the clock is ticking....). If you've never been to Paris or Rome - go for one of those. You can easily do Rome - florence -Venice in 16 days. At least you're in the same country!
Whatever you choose, enjoy yourself.

Other alternative...do a coach tour. It is one way to optimize time and see lots of places. But you are on their schedule, seeing their sites.

The trip you have planned IS a 'marathon trip'. If you really want a schedule like that I would join an organized tour group, as they can move you around faster and more efficiently than you can do no your own.

I would drop the first 3 places you list. Or cut out Italy entirely. Because 4 destinations in 16 days is a MUCH more reasonable itinerary imo.

When you are saying "2 days" and "2 days" you are not allowing any TIME that it takes to move from place to place. Which usually takes at least -0.5 day each time you move.

Hi,

I think the previous posters offered some great info. I am very new to this forum but have already learned so much from them! They helped me with my itinerary to Spain (which was too full) and I am now looking forward to spending some time actually enjoying the cities I have chosen. :) You cannot see everything one trip, so you will have to prioritize, make some tough decisions, enjoy your trip, and start plan your next one!

p.s. definitely start checking out your transportation options. it will provide a good idea of how long it takes to get places, may place some limits on where you can reasonably go, and will help you plan accordingly.

To be a contrarian...there have been people here who suggested such a trip and did not modify it much...and said it matched their style and pace.

So...what I would do is map is out.

You 2 days Prague 2 days Vienna. Go deeper.

Land Prague at 9:30 AM, assume 1 hr to clear customs and get bag. Then find cab and get to hotel. Another hour. Lunch 1 hr. So from 2PM - 7PM can tour. If hotel is not walking distance, figure out where to go. Are there tours want to take? What is open/closed that day? . If that museum is closed today...might be out of luck. Since short time here, need to really optimize time

Really tired early to bed.

Next day..out and about at 9AM. Till 6PM. Full day

Next day, train to Vienna. Up early, taxi to train station. Arrive in Vienna at 11AM. Cab to hotel....Day starts at 2PM...till 8PM.

Do all of this for your whole trip. You can get info on rail and airline sites to determine transit times. Add in the misc times.

When it is all done...is 1.5 days in Prague and Vienna enough? Is getting up at 7AM some morning OK (jet lag again)

You will be spending more time in transit than in sight-seeing!

Really good advice here, my friend!

You wrote that you want culture. "Culture" takes time! Every museum or famous site is not a quick in-and-out visit. And why "early to bed"? Even if you don't go to a concert or performance in the evening, walking around the city is part of feeling the atmosphere of where you are. If you are in a city with a festival, the events usually continue to late in the evening. Do you really want to drag yourself out of bed the early next morning to go rushing off. Take your time and enjoy!

Definitely a "marathon trip" you have planned! I suggest really taking the time to study transportation options and times and then base your itinerary accordingly. We can all throw out possible itineraries but only you can decide which of those on your list is most important to you.

I would try to limit your itinerary to 2-3 places (maybe 4, depeding on how far the locations are apart) that are relatively close to each other. Also consider open-jaw, flying into one city and out of another, to save time backtracking. If you are going to use the train, check out www.bahn.de for train itineraries and times.

Good luck!
Tracy

If you are going to use the train, check out www.bahn.de for train itineraries and times.>

Wunderbar site IMO and easiest to use I have seen of online European train schedules - for all of Europe not just Germany. And check out these fab IMO sites as well for lots on the rail system and railpasses which with at least your OP itinerary would be worth considering - www.budgeteuropetravel.com; www.seat61.com; www.ricksteves.com.

For such a short duration if moving every other day then investigate the 15-consecutive-day Eurailpass - if cut down itinerary look at the Eurail Select Pass good in 3, 4 or 5 countries.